May 15, 2020 | One week after the German constitutional court’s (BVerfG) ruling that part of the European Central Bank’s sovereign bond-buying programme may be illegal under the German constitution, the ruling continues to reverberate across the EU’s political, economic and legal circles. The political repercussions to the Karlsruhe-based Court were immediate, with both the European Commission and ECB taking note of the ruling and arguing that the BVerfG had no jurisdiction on the matter and reiterating the supremacy of EU law...

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May 14, 2020 | On April 21, 2020, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published two sets of guidelines addressing data processing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines address the use of location data and contact tracing tools to combat the spread of COVID-19 and the use of health data for the purposes of scientific research into COVID-19 (together, the guidelines). Since March 2020, the EDPB and the European Commission (EC) have been active in addressing the use of data to combat...

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March 18, 2020 | In a national effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19, we are witnessing the rise of the remote workforce. While companies are focusing on ways to protect their employees, clients and families, cyber attackers are infiltrating insecure cybersecurity postures. CyZen’s advisors have been closely monitoring the rise in COVID-19-related cyber-attacks. Our experts have witnessed spearphishing campaigns and new forms of malware being spread through documents using the name, “coronavirus.” Knowing that largescale telecommuting is uncharted territory for...

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May 5, 2020 | Key insights • Developing business continuity and preparedness plans can help employees return to work safely and successfully and may help everyone to be better prepared for the future. • Immediate priorities should include revising employee handbooks and policies related to time off and remote work. • Transparency in decision-making may help organizations embrace change successfully. • Communication — what information and how it is delivered — has never been more important. COVID-19 has driven changes into the world of work...

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April 30, 2020 | From 1 May, Estonia will hold the presidency of the UN Security Council for a month. Estonia plans to pay particular attention to the connections between the COVID-19 pandemic and the security environment, cybersecurity, the fundamental principles of international law, including the protection of civilians, and increasing the transparency of the Security Council during the crisis. “The Security Council continues to work through the coronavirus crisis. When we became an elected member of the Security Council in...

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May 12, 2020 | The Houthoff Financial Regulatory team closely monitors the developments on the financial markets and within financial supervision. In this News Update, we have rounded up a few important recent developments. If you wish to stay informed, you can subscribe to these News Updates here. Recently, the first cautious easing of the coronavirus measures was announced. In the meantime, the steady stream of publications by supervisors and legislatures on measures to give financial enterprises operational and financial flexibility continues. Several...

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Exposure of fraud can often be an outcome of erratic stock market behavior. Looking at precedent downturns, economic fraud activity was exposed shortly after the stock market's low points. Once you have addressed the critical efforts to safeguard your family and your people, you must turn to the health and safety of your business. Experience tells us that the risk of economic fraud is high. Regardless of the current scenario, our recommendations remain the same: • Move quickly: Take immediate action to understand the...

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May 7, 2020 | Looking back at the past year’s activity offers a glimpse of the future thanks to stories of financed projects, statistics, financial and sustainability reporting While the EIB Group is focused on the response to COVID-19, it is important to remember what it did last year. The projects it financed and the pledges it made shine a light on the institution’s capacity to respond to the pandemic and to contribute to a sustainable recovery in Europe and beyond. As...

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May 11, 2020 | • By executive order, the secretary of energy is now authorized to review and block any acquisition, importation, transfer or installation of any bulk-power system electric equipment in which a foreign country or foreign person has an interest. • A list of prohibited suppliers of electric equipment may be forthcoming. • In addition, a Section 232 investigation has been initiated into transformers and certain components, which may result in increased tariffs on these items. Two recent federal government actions...

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